The Punishment of Time
by Sand n' Sable
Summary: It was all so innocent at first. She found a diary on the road, she thought she would bring it to the owner. How did she know this would lead her into this?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N-I just had this idea this morning walking and I wanted to write it down before it disappeared from me. Let me know what you guys think!**

She was walking down the road and she saw all the trash on the road. Most of it was the usual trash with a few surprises. A t shirt thrown away, sunglasses, reading glasses and sometimes a scratched up C.D. But something caught her eye.

It was small and at first, she thought it might just be a old Reader's Digest but as she got closer, she realized it wasn't. It was a little diary, a little girl's diary! It had a Irish green velvet cover on the bottom and on the top was decorated in a green hillside decorations and it had a little lock on it.

Fortunately, there was a small nameplate on the cover or she wouldn't know who it belonged to-the name said:

_Susan McCrery_

_1109 Anton wells Road_

_Shelby, Ohio_

"Ohio!" Said the girl who found it. The girl who found it was Sophia McLean, a 19 year old girl in black jeans and a red t shirt. She had flaming red hair that seemed to be curly to other people but not to her.

She contemplated not taking it to the girl and just trashing it on the side of the road but she figured she might as well since she was just walking the roads.

Only thing is, she didn't know it would led her into the...**Twilight Zone.**


	2. Chapter 2 Old fashisoned and outdated

Sophia was walking up the sidewalk to a beautiful home. The house looked like it was going through renovations, there was painter ladders in the front and on the sides.

It looked like woodwork was being done on the house also but she just shrugged her shoulders and went on up to the front door and knocked.

A young girl answered the door, she looked to be no more than 14. Sophia immediately noticed that the girl had on _Brady Bunch_ type clothing but that was teenagers and Sophia was still considered technically a teenager.

Sophia asked the girl,

"Are you Susan?"

The blond haired young girl shook her head and Sophia said:

"I found this and it had your address on it"

Sophia hands her the diary with her address on front and Susan squeals.

"You found it! I never thought I would see it again!"

Susan hugs the stranger in excited gratefulness and a man and woman walk in, the woman has on a micro green mini dress and the man is dressed in a shirt and tie but looks awfully outdated. Susan turns around and says,

"Mom! Dad! Look someone found my diary and turned it in!"

The mother says:

"Oh! I'm so glad!"

The man sticks out his hand and says,

"Well, I sure am grateful. At least I don't have to hear my daughter constantly cry now"

Susan looks at her dad and says,

"Dad!"

They all laugh and the man motions for them to all go and sit in the living room.

Sophia looks at the living room and sees that it is full of outdated furniture and even the decorations, knick-knacks and paintings on the wall is from another time.

Sophia thinks,

'_Well, they sure loved the 1970's!'_

She sits down in a chair across from the father who is sitting in a awful colored mucky green chair and the mother says,

"I'm going to go get us some lemonade"

Sophia says:

"Oh, I don't want to put you to any bother" "Oh, there is none. I had just made a pitcher just before you came dear. Excuse me"

A younger boy of about 10 comes in brown slacks and a striped shirt and Susan says in a flat tone,

"Oh, this is my brother, Timmy"

He waves to her and he asks,

"Dad, can I go play with the neighborhood kids?" "All right but be back by six, that's when your mom will have supper on" "All right, bye!"

Timmy turns and races out then the dad says,

"I'm Peter and you meet Susan and that was Timmy our youngest" "I'm Sophia McLean"

Just then the mother comes in with the lemonade and sets it down and Peter says,

"We were just introducing ourselves dear" "Oh! I'm Ann"

Ann and Sophia shakes hands then Peter says:

"I sure wish there was something we could do to show our appreciation"

Sophia takes a sip of her drink then sighs and says,

"Well, I sure wish I could take a bath, I have been walking for so long!"

Ann smiles and says,

"Well, go on to our bathroom! It's right down the hall and last on the left" "Oh, thank you!" "And if you like, I'll wash your clothes" "Are you sure ma'am?" "Oh yes! I can see they need it and I have been washing all day so it won't be a bother at all" "Okay, I'll hand them to you as soon as I undress" "Good"

Sophia gets up and goes down the hall and Ann and Peter look at each other.

A few minutes later, they hear water running in the bathtub and Sophia sticks her head out, looks around and with a towel wrapped around her body, drops the clothes in a pile. Her red shirt, black pants and even underwear and she quickly goes back in to take a soothing bath to a weary body.

After Sophia takes a very long and comforting bath, she gets out and taps dry her body of water and wraps one back around and with another towel, dries her legs then she hears Ann saying in a very upset voice,

"Sophia! Sophia!"

Sophia looks around alarmed and she goes to the door and peeks her head out and asks:

"What is it Ann?"

Ann has a look of sympathy on her face and she wrings her hands then she says.

"I'm so sorry! There was a small fire, the laundry machine just burst into flames! Peter has it under control but we all lost so much clothes, including yours! I'm so sorry!"

Sophia groans and says.

"What am I going to do now? I can't wear this towel all the time"

Susan speaks up and says,

"Why don't you spend the night? I got a gown for you to wear"

Susan looks at her and says,

"Oh, thank you"

Just then Ann speaks up and says,

"And I run a dress shop, you can pick out a dress tomorrow" "Oh, thank you!"

Susan then says:

"Let me go get that gown and a housecoat for you"

Susan turns to go to her room while Peter comes down the hall with a fire extinguisher

In hand and Ann turns to look at him and they both smile.


	3. Chapter 3 Waking up

Sophia woke up the next morning. It took her a few seconds to take in her surroundings, that she wasn't just sleeping anywhere she could find. She was in a guest room at somebody's house. The guest room was just as outdated in furniture and decorations as the rest of the house, but it didn't matter. She figured she would be gone after today anyway. There was nothing to keep her.

She got up and put on the housecoat that Susan loaned her. She then went outside the room. She opened the door and heard people talking. At the smell of breakfast cooking, she heard her stomach rumble. She went down to the living room and she looked around and noticed something. It wasn't anything she could put her finger on exactly but...

Ann came out of the kitchen wearing a light brown mini sundress with a frilly apron. When she see Sophia, her face brightens and she says,

"Good morning Sophia! Did you sleep well?"

Sophia shakes her head and says, "Yes, I did..."

The thick, rich delicious scent of bacon cooking interrupts her thoughts. She sniffs the air and Ann says, "Come on, breakfast is almost done." Embarrassed that she was caught sniffing, she just smiles and goes on. Just as soon as she enters the kitchen, Susan

comes into the living room and turns on the radio that is sitting in place of where the television was.

After breakfast was over, Ann, Sophia and Peter and the children come on in the living room. Ann says, "Well, let's go get you some clothes."

Sophia looks down at her gown and says, "I can't go out like this!"

Ann and Peter laugh. Sophia looks at t hem confused. Ann tells her, "No, you don't understand. My dress shop is just right over there. Come. I'll show you." They go to the windows and look out. Sophia sees a quaint dress shop by the corner of the house.

She smiles a nd says, "Oh, I can't wait!"

Ann turns to her daughter and says, "Susan, go get her some house shoes to go over there. Have a good day, honey." Ann and Peter share a kiss and a knowing smiles while Susan brings her the house shoes. Sophia looks at the shop with excitement.


	4. Chapter 4 New Dresses

Sophia hurries and puts on the house shoes while Ann opens the door. She runs out and smells the fresh air and she sees her hosts' perfectly manicured lawn...and the neighbors and every body's! She just shrugs her shoulders and thinks, "The town likes to be neat, what's wrong with that? Nothing"

She hurries to the dress shop and stops at the door, waiting for Ann to come and open it. Ann smiles and gets out her keys. Sophia listens impatiently as the keys dangle. The door flies open and Sophia walks in and...the dresses and pants...even the hats and accessories seem to be in a 1950's style.

Sophia looks around and walks very slowly around the dresses hanging up. She sees the mannequins in the window, then Ann asks, "Do you like them?"

Sophia thinks, "This must be a costume shop." She come out of her thoughts and shakes her head. She turns to Ann and says, "Oh yes, thank you"

Anything that you see, dear, that you like, just try it on. If it doesn't fit, we'll keep looking until we find your size."

"Oh, thank you, but how will I pay for this?"

Ann puts down her purse on the counter then says, "Well, it just so happens that I need a new sales girl. Would you like to come to work here?"

"Oh yes ma'am! I need the money"

"Well, then, that's all settled. Now just pick out something and go try it on in the back" Sophia picks out a lovely black and white dress and goes to the back.


	5. Chapter 5 A Walk Around Town

**A/N-Well, I haven't updated this story in a looooong time because nobody reviewed on it until the other day. So here I am with a new chapter!**

Sophia was in the dressing room and she almost had the dress on and she was thinking that she couldn't believe she was in there trying on some kind of costume dress from the 1950's...but the more she got to looking at it, the more she realized that it wasn't a costume, it really was a true dress. She got to thinking that this wasn't a costume shop, it was a retail shop...she heard the shop's front door opening and then a woman's voice and Mrs. McCrery's, Mrs. McCrery spoke first, "Helen! How lovely to see you! And you look fantastic in that dress!" "I should I bought it here!"

Sophia could hear sounds of a hug and a small kiss and the woman starting to go through the rack of dresses. Sophia then comes out and she says, "Mrs. McCrery, this dress doesn't seem to quite fit me, I don't think it looks right on me" Ann turns around and looks at the snug fitting dress then says, "No, I don't think so either, what do you think Helen?" Helen looks at Sophia and says, "No dear, that dress doesn't suit you at all in style or color" Ann turns and get a outfit from the rack, a darling rose pink number with a white blouse underneath and Sophia's eyes bug out and she says, "Oh yes, I LOVE that!" "Here, go try it on dear" Sophia quickly gets the two piece number and goes into the dressing room.

She then hears Ann tell Helen in a soft voice, "She's a wanderer, she showed up at our house yesterday with Susan's lost diary and while she was at our house, I was washing her clothes and the washing machine just caught fire" Sophia doesn't see the knowing looks between Helen and Ann. She then hears Helen say, "Well, she'll just have to see our little town and get to know our ways" Sophia ears perk up on that and she wonders , "What?'

She then steps out and the women look at her and they say, "Oh, Sophia! That dress is just perfect!" Helen says, "It looks just grand on you child!" "Oh Helen, this is Sophia McLean, Sophia, Helen Burgess, a great neighbor and friend, not to meantion, faithful customer" Helen smiles and says, "Oh, Ann, well, you get such great clothes" Sophia then says, "This must cost a fortune!" Ann waves it away then says, "Nonsense, don't worry about it!" Sophia beams in gladness and she says, "Well, if you don't mind, I want to go take a walk around town and get some fresh air" "I think that is a great idea, you just go on"

Sophia turns and goes out and looks around at the tree lined streets and she goes futher into town until she gets to the buiness's, the other shops, the movie theater, a small pawn shop, a diner and she starts to notice something...the shops have a definate feel and a look to them ...a 1950's feel, more like 55-57 if she remembers from her history books. She thought it was just her host family but apprantly it's the whole town.

She sees some kids playing on the streets, playing football and chasing each other, nothing unusual but then she sees a little girl push a baby buggy that looks like her mother's toy.

Then she sees a teenager go into a ...phone booth? was that what they were? She looks around and doesn't see any modern things, even the cars are from that era. What kind of town did she come to?


	6. Chapter 6 1957

**A/N-I know it's been a loooooonnnnnngggggg time since I updated but I finally got a review on the last chapter the other day so to thank my reader, here you go!**

Sophia looked at the women walking around her, she took time to notice ...the clothes and the hair styles...it wasn't just random anymore. Every woman on the street was wearing either a poodle skirt or a tight skirt but not pants. There was boffant hairstyles, beehives and the occasional poodle cut with bangs.

She had not been out of society so long that styles went back 40, 50 years! Something was strange She looked around and she saw a building and saw the plaque on it that said _'Shelby County library'_ and she nodded her head , she knew that the answers had to be in there.

She walked into the crossway and a classic 1957 Chevy stopped and she smiled and she thought to herself that people in 2013 collected, refurbished and even drove cars of the past but there was something ...not right. She walked up to the building and looked at the plaque she saw that the building was constructed in 1950. Opening the door, she felt like she had walked into 1950. She looked around, there was something right off but...she couldn't put her finger on it.

She walked on in and there wasn't and _"Lord of the Rings" or "Twilight"_, just _ "Catcher in the Rye" and "Lord of the Flies ". _She couldn't understand but maybe it was history month? She looked around and there was no computers, just old, antique Microfilm Catalog machines, at least that is what she think they are called. She knew that libraries were woefully underfunded so she just shrugged her shoulders. She looked to the right of her and saw newspapers carefully laid out so she went over to one and picked it up and when she saw it, her eyes bugged out.

She looked at the date on the right hand corner, _ August 30, 1957._ It was the right date but wrong year! The headline was _U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond spoke against civil rights._ She put it down and looked at the others, they all had the same date and same year on them and all had news of the past ! Something was going on...

She looked up at the librarian's desk and saw a tall woman behind the desk in a smart grey two piece with a sparkling diamond brooch on and she went up to the woman and said,

"Excuse me but can somebody help me?" The librarian was stamping a little notice in a little _Golden read_ book with a picture of a little boy playing with a red dog. The librarian looked up at her and asked, "Yes, how may I help you?"

Sophia smiled and suddenly felt nervous and self-conscious but she asked anyway, "I was just wondering, um, is the town getting ready to celebrate Founder's day or something?" The woman then said, "Oh mercy me, no; that's not for a few more months, in December exactly. The whole town gets involved." Sophia smiled then shuffled her feet then asked another question, "Well, then why is the town...well, going back in the past?"

The elderly librarian looked at her confused then said, "The town of Selby is just the same, nothing has changed." Sophia looked around at the few people in and she asked in a low voice, "But why is everybody...dressed so...and there is no signs of any computers or cell phones."

The woman looked confused then asked, "Computers? Cell Phones? What's that?" Sophia stepped back like she had just been stung then she had a thought then asked, "W, who's the president?" The librarian stepped back to show a black and white picture of Dwight E. Eisenhower and she said, "President Eisenhower, of course."

A look of shock comes on Sophia's face and blood runs from her face then she softly said, "E, excuse me..." She turned and ran out of there. Sophia doesn't see that the librarian picked up the telephone and made a call just as she left the building.

When Sophia ran out, she saw the cars going up and down the streets, men wearing three piece suits with hats, women and teenagers wearing pink poodle skirts and she hears a radio playing _"Big Girls Don't Cry" _ but that's all like Sophia felt like doing.


	7. Chapter 7 A Grave Situation

**A/N-Thanks so much for the last few reviews! You guys are really helping me love this story again!**

Sophia didn't know what to do so she just kept walking, she didn't even have a clear idea of where she was going, she just walked though the tears. But soon she realized that she had walked out-of-town, she realized that she was a ways from the heart of Shelby. She only saw a house now and then. She wondered how long she had walked but then she realized how bad her feet were hurting so she looked around , saw a cement slab that she used as a bench, sat down then took off her shoes. Heels were pretty to walk around town but not for long lengths of town she thought.

She began rubbing them then she looked around at the sights surrounding her. She was mostly surrounded by tall pine trees , bushes and some Buckeye trees...the only reason she knew what a buckeye was is because it's the state tree or else she wouldn't know, trees are not her thing. She gave a sigh and was about to just pick up and walk home when something caught her eye.

It was a fence surrounding a large piece of property and she saw a church in the far off background , an old-fashioned church with a steeple on it. She smiled at the simplicity of it then the closer she got to the fence, the more she realized it was a graveyard. She could see the grave markers of different shapes and sizes, some in crosses , some in square shapes, shapes of Bibles and she said to herself, "Maybe I can find some answers in here."

She thought the dates would tell her something, they wouldn't lie about the dates on a gravestone, would they?

She got up to the gate and looked up at the iron sign hanging over her and she stepped back to get a better look and it said, _ 'Peaceful Times' cemetary_. She noticed that it didn't have a date when the graveyard was made but she shrugged her shoulders and went in. She looked around and she put her shoes back on. She walked around with respect, even tho she didn't know a soul buried there, she had to give respect for those that lived and died; to those that lived a long time on this earth and to those that may have only lived a second in time.

She looked at the names..._'Anna Sims'...Barbara Mills buried with husband Glenn...Luke and Brenda Dowden...Brenda Wilson...baby Gary Arabie...a World War one veteran, Madden Blake Alford...'_

Something occurred to her, there was not one date on any of them, no birthdate, no date of death...nothing...she even saw a huge tree that was made into a headstone and she ran to it but all it did was say a name _'Karen Langer'_ and she could tell that it was an old headstone but little good that could do her. She finally saw a fresh grave over in the northern corner of the yard, ran over to it and saw a little grave marker at the end and she bent down but only saw a name, _'Johnny Richards'_. She fell on her knees, she was exhausted and beyond crying, but she finally gave out dry sobs. WHAT KIND OF PLACE DID SHE COME TO?

She slowly got up,brushed the leaves off her clothes, looked around then gathered herself together and slowly walked out of the cemetary. She looked up at the sky and realized it was five o'clock. It would be dark soon so she better, wait...why did she have to walk back? She could just keep walking until she got to someplace, someplace that wasn't so...nutty.

So that's what she did, she found a path that led into the woods. She kept walking until the trees enveloped her, she kept walking until she saw colors in the sky but it was still light enough outside to see. She saw a break in the trees then there was a road on the other side and she saw cars passing. She was so ready for water, her throat was parched and she was powerful hungry.

She walked the ten feet to it and started to run into the small opening but she ran into something...unexpected. She fell on the ground, tore the stockings she had on and some leaves and sticks stuck to her skirt but she got up and slowly put her hand trying to find whatever made her fall down. She couldn't see anything but she could _feel _something. What?

It, it was like a force field that she had only heard and read about in the Star Trek books and movies, she got up on her knees and she felt all over and there was that field all over, she could see the modern cars and trucks passing her on the road and as cry and scream as much as she could, she could not go to them. She finally gave up, sat down and curled up in a ball. She cried for hours. Finally, she got up, she walked around, it was dark and she was tired, so tired so she walked to a little white and green house, she was so tired that she barely was able to walk up the steps to the door, knocked and a woman came to, opened the door and Sophia explained her situation and asked to use the phone. When she went in, she noticed that the house was decorated in 50's fashion like the McCerey's. She called the only people she could.

30 minutes later, the McCerey's showed up in their Ford Thunderbird and Ann McCerey asked, "Honey, what happened?"

Sophia sighed and she said, "I just got to walking around and through town and I just walked so far that I got lost, I'm sorry." Rob, Ann's husband then said, "You have to be careful, you never know what you are going to find in these woods."

Sophia remembers the force field she found, she then said, "I know."

The just keep driving in the middle of the night to the McCerey house.

**A/N-What happens next? We'll find out in the TWILIGHT ZONE.**

**Sand n' Sable**


	8. Chapter 8 Time in the Park

Sophia had now been in Shelby, Ohio for 6 months, after that day at the cemetary then finding the force field around the town, she did not now what to do, she hadn't given up on getting out of this crazy town and to her own time but she didn't know what to do.

She was still living with the McCrey's, she was now a trusted member of the family. She was living in a garage apartment by their home. Yes, she felt a little like Fonzie from _Happy Days_ but she figured it was just right anyway. Right now, she was watching the McCrey's niece and nephew at their local park.

Sophia was standing around, the wind was blowing and she listened to the sounds of children playing and teenagers walking around and she heard a radio playing and she heard the song, _'Mean Woman Blues' by Elvis Presley_ and she thought to herself,

_'That's how I feel'._

She sat down on a bench then she heard, "Sophie!" She looked toward the direction of the shouts and saw it was one of the children she was watching, Steven, waving at her and she smiled then he yelled, "Watch this!"

The boy put his hands on the bar over the slide then bent down, put his legs out and pushed himself off on the slide at a greater speed then when he got to the ground, he stood up and smiled with pride at his small accomplishment. Sophia clapped and she said, "That was great Steven!"

The wind died down she noticed , she let out a heavy sigh then she looked around then looked at the paper, picked it up and looked at the day and the date _Saturday, March 26, 1958. _ She sighed in disgust then threw the paper back down then she head something. At first she thought it had to be something coming from the radio but then she realized that the radio was off.

But she kept hearing a faint beeping sound, she looked around but could see nothing. The beeping sound continued, she got up and looked around, she started to call somebody but then she got the feeling that she best not. She realized that the beeping was coming from the ground. She walked around and it was getting louder and stronger than she got down on her knees and she crawled over to a cement road pipe and she looked in and saw something that caused her eyes to jump out.

It was a modern cell phone ! It was small and black. It had buttons that light up neon green every time it beeped. She looked at the bars on the phone and saw that it was on the last bar and had 20% power left, she could not believe what she was seeing! Her heart flipped as she reached in and actually touched it, she quickly grabbed it and started to punch some numbers but then she looked around at the people walking around so she looked for the power button to turn it off and to make the beeping stop. She then shoved it into the pocket of the light green jacket she had on.

She quickly ran back over to the bench, sat down as some young adults her age pass by, one of the girls said, "Sophia! Has that dress come in that I ordered from the shop come in yet?"

Sophia gave her best fake smile then she said, "It should be in Friday." The silly young woman squealed then she said, "Oh good! I'll wear it to my brother's graduation the next night! Thank you Sophia!"

Sophia nodded her head as the girl and her boyfriend pass on by then she looked around to make sure she was alone, she pulled the phone out of her pocket then turned it back on then she looked over the phone to see what all apps were on it, she saw a file marked PICTURES, she clicked on it and she saw a picture of a modern Ford truck with a custom-made paint job then she saw a picture of a modern family at a beach somewhere in modern bathing suits and trunks then she came to a picture of a family getting on a boat then somebody had put the words _Trip to Italy, 2012._ Her eyes blinked at the number of the year, she hadn't seen that in so long then she thought, _'Is that how long this phone has been here?'_

She clicked off the phone again then put it back in her pocket, tapped her hand on her pocket then really smiled for the first time and went to go back to watching the children.

(((oOo)))

That evening as the sun was going down, Sophia came in the McCerey home with Steven and his little sister, a blond-haired little pigtail girl who reminded you of Cindy Brady.

Sophia takes both jackets off the children who are practically falling asleep as they stand.

Ann came over, she smiled and stooped down to help the jacket off the little girl then she asked, "I guess they both really enjoyed the day?"

Sophia shook her head then said, "Yes, they did, especially Joan and oh, Steven showed me a new trick he can do on the slide now, he did it all afternoon!"

Ann picked up the little girl and laid her little head on her shoulder then said, "Well, thank you Sophia."

Sophia smiled then nodded her head then Ann said, "Well, go on to the kitchen, potato soup is on the stove."

Sophia nodded her head then went on into the kitchen then when she was alone, she smiled like a child would with her own special secret.

**Later,** that night, Sophia gets out of her bed, puts on her house coat then goes over opens the door, looks around and sees that nobody is around, everybody is asleep in the house or so she hopes. She quietly goes down the stairs from her house, she only hears the night sounds then she took the phone out of her house coat pocket, turns on the cell phone and she smiles to herself; she takes one last look around the yard then tiptoes to a place beside the shrubs next to the garage. A look came on her face like she was trying to remember something then she started hitting the numbers on the cell phone with her thumb then suddenly the phone is grabbed from her hand as a voice asked, "Hello, hello?"

Sophia looked up at whoever stopped her from making a call in horror.


End file.
